What happens to your old mobile phone when you get a new one? Do you recycle it or put it in the trash? What about alkaline batteries or unused nail polish remover? These are some of the “hazardous waste” we discard into our garbage, inadvertently putting our environment and health at risk.

Hazardous or waste are generated primarily as by-products of manufacturing, construction and automotive industries. In India, industries produce 4.4 million tonnes of such waste annually. Petroleum refineries, chemical industries, pulp and paper industries are the major culprits.

Other toxic waste includehousehold,electronic (such as old CDS, mobile phones, mouse and monitors) and medical discard (waste contaminated with blood and other bodily fluids, radioactive diagnostic material, expired drugs and the likes). Any trash, even liquids and gases, that are reactive, ignitable, corrosive, infectious, or radioactive, are classified as “hazardous waste”..................Read more